[There were some days that Hiro Hamada wondered if he was going to live to see his eighteenth birthday. There were some darker days even still that he was convinced he may very well be immortal. Time fluctuated both too fast and too slow and the pockets of time that dragged too slow were always the darkest.
This was one of them. Hiro's eighteenth birthday came and went. What would have been Tadashi's 25th came and went and then time sped up again. It's April now and the second dark pocket came, creeping little tendrils of doubt and insecurity into his skull. His friends knew better than to coax him to talk to them during those pockets, respecting his space until he came to them.
Some would say that when Tadashi Hamada died, he took his little brother's soul with him. It took several months before Hiro really started to feel like himself again but even then he knew that despite no longer sinking, he also wasn't staying afloat on his own. He was treading water and going through the motions of everyday living and trying to make the world a better place like Tadashi had wanted.
It originally started out just as a one-time thing. Catch the guy in the mask, avenge his brother's death, feel better. What became a one-time thing became a two-time thing, then multiple times, and now years later the Big Hero 6 were well-known in the city of San Fransokyo. Their identities were still mostly a mystery (save for Cass who knew and continually worried about her nephew.) In the four years that Hiro had become a superhero, the team had seen victories and failures, broken bones and upgrade after upgrade. And even while all of this was happening Hiro was going through SFIT and starting his doctorate for the robotic field.
The Big Hero 6 was well-known, but Hiro Hamada was also well-known for his intellect and his inventions. It was enough to keep him busy but it was also enough for him to know better than to leave his information so carelessly out there for anyone to take. So every day he would work to encrypt and encode all of his research, all files about his projects and his team so that only he could get in.
But yesterday had been one of those days he hadn't. Yesterday had been the anniversary of that fire that changed everything and as he had every year, Hiro took the day off. Skipped his classes, kept the door to his lab shut, and spent the day alternating between ghosting around the cemetery and staying at home curled up into Cass's side. But time still marched on and so today he's back in the lab.
…and absolutely baffled by the fact that somehow, someway, his files had been infiltrated.]
I don't get it. [He continued to repeat to anybody who would listen on campus. Honey Lemon and Fred seemed to get the brunt end of his bitching.] I don't get it! Those files were air-tight! I was gone a day, what the hell happened?
[It puzzled him for the rest of the day, all the way late into the evening as he sat in front of his computer and ran over all of his coding and worked himself into overdrive. Go Go eventually shut the lights off around him to try and get his attention and failed. Honey Lemon brought him a sandwich from the cafeteria that he ignored. Wasabi mentioned how unsanitary it was for him to stay in one spot and asked if he bothered showering before coming back to campus and also went ignored. Nothing was going to pull him from figuring this out.
If there was one thing Hiro knew at least, it was that whoever had breeched his files would be back. He just had to sit and wait for some sign to crop up.
[ Gifted, they'd said. San Fransokyo is a place where prodigies like him will shine.
Ever since he'd been labeled, like some slab of beef to be sent to the market, Kon hasn't felt like he's really shined all that much. Admittedly his specialties lie in things that aren't generally looked upon with much merit - even white hat hackers are considered barely trustworthy, and maybe he's good with code in general, compiling it and navigating it with ease, but there's no thrill in that. There's a thrill in hacking, in slipping through the defenses that people have put up against others like him and being some punkass little kid getting through where people four times his age have failed.
He still remembers the old man's initial reaction, when he'd been caught the first time and reported. He'd had people show up at the diner, disapproval and reprimand at the tips of their tongues, and he'd looked at a ten year old Kon with a steely gaze through his sunglasses. It'd been a mix of bemused approval and amused annoyance, like he was squandering his talents on something so underhanded but it was so impressive that he still felt grudgingly proud.
Kon Shinonome took that as a challenge and encouragement it wasn't meant to be, and here he is now, without the old man looming over him to keep him in line.
He tries not to think about it too much beyond the day-by-day work he has to do.
Seeing as he's still too young at eleven, apparently, to attend SFIT - when you're a little older we'd be more than happy to accept your application, you'd fit right in, after all we've had one of the youngest and brightest in robotics as a student! - he's stuck in a special program until they deem him fit to move on. But it's boring, stopped being challenging after a month or two of tackling everything that they threw at him. And a bored genius is never a particularly good thing to have on your hands.
What better way to challenge himself, if they won't give him something engaging to do, than to see what SFIT has hidden in its databanks? With so many supposed geniuses attending the school, it seems perfectly logical for him to find something interesting going on in their encrypted files. If he's going to wind up going there, or somewhere similar, he thinks checking out his peers and potential competition is a perfect excuse to be a nosy little shit.
Yesterday had yielded some pretty interesting results, but it hadn't been until the end of the night that he found the real challenge. Whoever this research, this work, belonged to really made an effort to encrypt and protect everything. Kon's interest had immediately been piqued, and now he's back again to delve deeper, now that it's not ass o'clock in the morning and he's sure he hasn't been traced from last night's little endeavor. He should, probably, check the name on these projects, but he doesn't really care enough to. It's not like he'll be caught, or ever meet the guy. Girl. Whoever.
He's so distracted getting back in, effectively sliding through backdoors and unlocking locks, that Kon doesn't realize he's not the only one logged into this account. ]
[He's starting to grow tired of waiting and relocking his files, but it's weird to him that every time he locks and encrypts one, another reveals itself to be unsecured when he's nearly positive that he'd just chained it up. His sleep-deprived and still somewhat foggy brain soon catches up to the fact that he's not alone and he catches on much faster than Kon probably realizes himself.
He stops for a moment, typing in a series of keystrokes to bring up an overview of the system to see what's going on. It seems as though his personal hacker is back and has yet to realize that they're being watched. He doesn't do anything yet, simply observing as whoever on the other side starts perusing his files and activating projects and data, not too worried just yet. Those files aren't his most important ones and instead he's more baffled about the fact that someone slipped in so easily.
He really should have been watching more closely.
He allows this to go on for a while before his brain provides him with a more creative solution and he shakes his head, furiously typing out a string of code and setting it before saving it in his files. It's a new puzzle, a new "top secret" file for his hacker to hack into and he's genuinely curious if it can be broken into. He sits back in his chair to continue observing, Baymax wandering over and leaning on him to provide warmth. Hiro hasn't quite decided what to do about whoever's inside his system, but it all depends on Kon's next move.
Should Kon actually take the bait and move for the new file to open it, he'll find that it's...relatively easy to hack into for someone of his caliber. However, he won't find the usual impressive formulas and research notes. Instead, he'll find in large bolded letters a note:]
[ It takes Kon longer than he would ever like to admit to realize that he's being watched, really. He works on making his way through the files he'd seen last night, poking around absently when something looks familiar and moving on to the next one without too much concern. It's only when he notices that some files are being locked back up behind him that he realizes that he's not alone.
But he doesn't panic. Despite his age, he's a pretty levelheaded thinker when his temper doesn't come into play, and this doesn't necessarily mean that he's in trouble.
In fact, the user might not even be aware he's there. And even if they are, he's running through enough proxies that he should be fine, unless they manage to break through them and figure out the route they take. So, ideally, he's safe as houses. He just needs to tread lightly, work his way quickly but carefully to get in and out while dodging whoever is in here with him.
Except... How could he resist the new file that appears? The encryption is sound, but as he sits there tapping his fingers just barely over the keys, he considers the possibility of a trap.
Well. No one ever said Kon could resist a challenge, no matter how blatant. Typing quickly, he navigates his way through the code, and - ]
Shit. [ Caught. But he still doesn't panic - instead, he grins, writing up his own code so that an avatar pops up, a cheekily snickering fox animated below Hiro's text. Might as well give the guy some credit via acknowledging the fact he's been caught in the act, but maybe the reply will distract him while Kon runs a few decyptions in the background. Just because he's caught doesn't mean he's going to stop. ]
[He's briefly satisfied with the fact that he's sent his pretty basic message to his unwanted guest and he sits back, arms folded behind his head and a smug little grin on his face as he waits to be noticed. The most important files, well, those he's confident he has completely locked down. The other ones are files on defunct research or projects he doesn't mind the world knowing about if he absolutely has to share. He's figured he's outsmarted whoever's on the other end and maybe it'll scare 'em off and he can proceed as usual. If he's lucky, he might even make it home before 1am tonight.
But no. Instead, he hears a light little ping! as something new appears and Hiro opens an eye to look.]
Hiro, your blood pressure is elevating.
[Damn right it is. Who the hell did they think they were making an actual mockery of him? Driven more by frustration than anything Hiro lunges for his keyboard and he's quick to code one more thing. He keeps one eye on the files that are being navigated through and one eye on what he's working on, taking care to make sure nothing of real interest is going to be tampered with. A few minutes later though Kon will notice that a new avatar pops up under the fox. It looks harmless, a small smiling robot that wobbles as it approaches on screen (very remnant to Hiro's own Megabot) before it stops in front of the fox avatar. Without much of a warning, the robot's face shifts from smiling to something far more aggressive as its little limbs punch the fox in the face, effectively writing Kon's code out of the picture and eliminating it.]
Don't even try it.
[Seriously. Get out of his files, man, you're setting him back by at least two hours.]
[ Knowing now that he's going to be racing the clock, though not knowing what awaits him when it strikes zero, Kon moves his decryptions from one screen to another, keeping watch and modifying them where necessary. He's figured out a good template for the program, but it's still effectively in alpha testing and he has to babysit it as he works the bugs out.
But what better way to do that than now?
Tongue poking out in concentration, he types quickly, focused on finding a mix of files to break into just for variety and to make whoever is on the other side think that he's pulling at random. Like maybe he's getting lucky with the ones that have higher security. That's just a matter of him directly working on their defenses, but their owner didn't need to know that, now did they?
He's distracted, however, by the bot that appears. Eying it, Kon bristles up as it pretty much deletes his taunt. The words are just further fuel to the fire, and he puffs up. ]
You wanna go, buddy? [ Fine, they'll go. He types out a string of code, then hits send. This time, when the avatar shows up, the teeth are sharp in its grin - and snap open to eat the Microbot in one bite, giving Kon a chance to mess with it. Its cheeky snickering resumes once he's recoded and overwritten the other avatar, rather than outright deleting it. ]
[He's accepted that he's not getting any work done. Baymax has accepted that his patient's not going to listen to him and so long as Hiro's not actively hurting himself it's fine. What bothers him is that he can't tell what the hacker's up to and what he's trying to accomplish. He can't tell what they're looking for or why they're doing this but it's an all-out war on technology now as far as Hiro's concerned.
There's a sound that's something akin to a strangled goose when he watches the bot get swallowed by the damn fox and he grabs the sides of his monitor, shaking it and allowing a few choice curses fly out of his mouth.]
Oh come on! [He stops for a moment, sinking back to try and see if he can detect a pattern for what's up. It's hard without seeing what's happening on the other side. He has to pull the whole system offline somehow. Delete it, maybe.
…or just move it. That could work, too. Quick thinking allows him to open a new system and start pulling files off to transfer them. Unlike Kon, the selections actually are random for the most part. The most important files about the BH6 are pulled first though. Everything else is just whatever he can grab, and about halfway through he pauses.
He could be mature and just leave it at that. But why? They clearly want a challenge and Hiro's never been smart enough to back down from a challenge. That stupid fox continues to mock him and he's angrily pounding on his keys, mumbling under his breath before successfully closing the new code.
It's debatable if Kon would know anything of the BH6, but shortly after Hiro finishes there's a large, red robotic fist flying and punching out the avatar, effectively suddenly kicking Kon out of whatever file he was in the middle of decrypting. It's not everything since Hiro's priorities are everywhere, but it'll have to do.]
[ It's probably a good thing he has his own space to work in right now, messy and cluttered as it is, because Kon starts swearing the moment he realizes that files are being moved. It takes a while, but the list of encryptions he's working his way through disappear from the second monitor in quick order, despite their randomness, and the second he notices is a second too late. Sure, he could track them down, but what would that get him? By the time he managed, they and the system they've been moved to would be protected and he would be stuck starting all over again.
Which would probably give the person on the other side the time to track him, or lock him out hard. He has to weigh his pros and cons, and that's pretty hard when he's ruffled like this. He really should have just done all his work in this system last night when no one was home.
Especially since it doesn't take long for him to punch out his taunt again, but this time.
This time it's worse. ]
What the hell! [ Kon you're eleven, watch your mouth. ] Oh come on!
[ Unaware that he's mimicking his opponent, Kon drops his feet off his desk and shakes his main monitor. The kick knocks him out of the file he had been working on, something heavily encrypted but missed in the relocation process, and he's pissed. Nothing worse than hard work being wasted.
Fuming, he grabs his keyboard. There isn't an avatar this time, but rather actual contact. ] that was probably copyright infringement.
[ When you live in San Fransokyo, it's kind of hard to not recognize that distinctive fist. ]
[Got 'em. There's an actual cackle of glee from Hiro as he realizes he's cornered his intruder and that they have nowhere else to go. All activity stops for a moment and he's more than pleased, patting Baymax's belly when the robot chirps that Hiro's neuraltransmitters are even more elevated than his blood pressure. The poor robot's used to dealing with the small, sometimes mad genius. It's fine.
Still, he has no idea what he's dealing with and he's feeling very smug at the moment of once again outsmarting an adult. It gets easier with age the more he learns, truth be told, and he waits for the next response. He's not in a rush anymore. All of the important files have been transported and to his relief, the file he'd kicked the hacker out of hadn't been breeched just yet. Let's not share secrets about being a superhero with some schmuck with good luck. (And good skill, he had to admit.)
When he sees the message come across he laughs again, tilting his head as he considers that. One would think that, wouldn't they? He knows that even if the identities of the team are still protected (somehow, by more good luck, he thinks), Baymax's fist is more than recognizable as a symbol of peace and justice for the people of San Fransokyo. He's more relaxed, too pleased with himself as he lazily types out a response.]
Probably. Y'know. If somebody had to worry about something like that. When you're someone who knows what they're doing you don't have to. [He should leave it at that, but he'll take his victories where he can.] But I don't think you wanna talk to ME about infringements on intellectual properties, considering what you're doing.
[ Wow, okay. Most adults are fairly condescending with him as a given - kids should be seen, not heard, especially when they're the smartest person in the room - but that doesn't mean that he enjoys it. It grates on him and tests his patience, which is near zilch at his maturity level, so. His first thought is to write up a virus just to spite whoever this is.
Instead, though, Kon pulls up SFIT's database directory. Tapping out a few keystrokes, he works to narrow down what department this particular terminal is in. His idea is maybe a little vindictive, but at least communication lines are still open, and he can latch onto other files to serve as distractions.
It wasn't even about the contents so much as it was the locks, in the beginning. But now, the anty has been upped and he's the one that's frustrated. So if he wants to go - well, they're gonna go.
Hiro's response goes unanswered as he works, but seeing it on his screen just continues to rackle him. It doesn't remain unanswered for too long before he's typing out his reply. ]
if you were that worried about protecting your work from thieves and bored people like me, then you would've locked them up tighter. oops.
[ As if to prove his point, he takes a file he's decrypted and dumps its contents out so that it's a myriad of windows opening across the screen, obstructing his view of anything actually important until it's cleared. Underhanded, maybe, but all's fair and all that. Besides, it's personal now that he's been lumped in with boring people, and the assholes that took everything. ]
[Ironically enough, Hiro functions under the same philosophy. Even now he knows he's usually the smartest person in the room but at least he's mellowed out a tiny bit when it comes to talking to his professors and colleagues. When he was Kon's age, he would have done the same thing. But he doesn't know he's dealing with an eleven year old and instead sees no problem with this.
Sadly, he doesn't care much about files of other people. That's their problem. He's continuing to lock up his files as he goes, waiting for Kon to respond and unsure of what he's doing. The most important ones are fine. It's the insinuation that he doesn't care enough that raises his hackles, the idea that since he took the day off he wasn't worried enough. How dare they. It's no longer funny but he doesn't get a chance to say anything before the contents of one of the folders start popping up window after window, faster than Hiro can clear them. Another indignant squawk escapes him and he's aware that this is a distraction.
The scary part is that he doesn't know what Kon's actually after now that he's thrown a wrench in Hiro's plans. He gets to work on clearing the files and moving them, trying to fix the file and relock it, but if Kon looks at what he's just unlocked it should be clear to him what he's dealing with.
The particular file contains old research notes about brain waves and transmissions, how to recreate the microbots to function with only one person and their unique patterns. The thing about it is is that there's one name plastered all over those files, created back when Hiro was still young and paranoid about people stealing his work all over again.
Hiro Hamada, age 15. The files are dated three years back and he no longer needs those notes so Hiro's busy resorting them. It's when he finally clears them up that he responds.]
You don't even know what you're looking for, do you?
[It's a bluff. He doesn't know what Kon's doing, but he's hoping that maybe it'll be enough to push him back just enough until Hiro can find a new loophole himself.]
[ Now that he's thrown a good distraction into Hirto's face, even if it's more time consuming more than challenging, he works his way down from the entire system to the department, grumbling to himself as he goes along. Admittedly, Kon knows there's no way for this person to know that they're dealing with a kid, one that would be in middle school were it not for the whole "gifted" situation.
That doesn't change the fact he's annoyed now, and it just means he feels like he has to prove himself even more. Whoever this is, they're expecting the expertise of an adult. So, in his head, that means that he has to deliver and exceed. Maybe he won't be able to get right back to what he was doing before, but at least he can do something, anything, that will get back at this person.
Nevermind that he's the intruder here, but that's not the point anymore. ]
Asshole. [ But he does pause when he really gets a look at the file that he dumped out, frowning at the contents and the dates. Three years ago - and the name isn't necessarily an uncommon one, given the fact that he's touted as a child prodigy, too. But that means that his opponent is either an actual thief themselves or are, in fact, Hiro Hamada.
Still an asshole, either way. ]
i wasn't looking for anything before you started hiding things, but now i know exactly what i'm after.
[ Leaving it vague just to make him sweat, he doesn't touch anything else to make it work. After all, he's trying to find where the hell the guy is so that he can hit him with maximum effectiveness. It's not really mature, but whatever, he's a little kid, and no one said he had to act mature to reflect his intellect. ]
[He has better things to be doing than dealing with somebody who's probably just someone stuck working a late shift somewhere just wishing they were actually smart enough to be accepted to SFIT. Whoever has made themselves at home in his files clearly has nothing else to do and with that comforting thought Hiro backs down a little more, sorting and waiting for the next move.
He'd be the first to admit that he's kind of an asshole but also the first to argue that it's for a good reason. He's not like Tadashi who saw the best in everyone. He's not as much of a misanthrope as he was as a kid but he's still a little more reserved and a lot more quick to annoy. He's calm now though as he puts his files away, waiting for the reply.
And it comes. It's not what he expects though and the words give him pause.
Shit. He should have thought of that himself and now he has to wonder if his late-night hacker really does know. Is it possible that Hiro just blew the cover he'd worked so hard to keep because he couldn't let something go?]
If you did, you would've found it already instead of wasting time. What kind of a hacker are you anyway?
[Stupid, stupid, stupid. Hiro still has some growing to do, too, it seems. Maturity is overrated and it's only after he sends that message that he realizes he's 100% alone in the lab. The others left hours ago.
[ You seem like a smart kid. You can probably find something else to break into that's safer.
Kon, maybe, should've actually listened to Hiro's warning instead of dismissing it. At least he didn't hack into Hiro's shit again - technically, anyways - and went elsewhere, somewhere that was... okay, it wasn't any safer. It was probably a lot riskier, actually. But after leaving SFIT students alone, he's now moved back to his primary project of trying to delve deeper into what it is that Sensai is up to. It's a little strange that a corporation that specializes in virtual reality technology advancement has its fingers in the health industry's pie, has so many stocks and shares that the media doesn't know about.
A secretive corporation doesn't bode well with him. Secrets don't bode well with him. So he makes the mistake of hacking back into Krei Tech, where he finds it to be a little less wanting in terms of security after the first stint last year, but not enough that it'll keep him out at the end of the day. Krei is pretty public, even if he seems a little skeevy, but he knows he's got skeletons hiding out in his closets.
He might as well make sure the company that Hiro works with doesn't have a hand in what Sensai is up to, right? He'll move onto the smaller companies after the big name one, but it's only right to check on the one whose technology and advancements are found so easily in the market these days.
Unfortunately, he gets caught.
Again.
Hiro was right about him not being able to save or wipe his work fast enough in the computer lab, but maybe the next time he does it he won't do it during the day. It was a slipup that he's kicking himself over down at the precinct, sitting on the floor against the bars of the holding cell and facing the back wall, where he's bouncing a rubberband ball the clerk deigned to give him so he wouldn't pester them for his things back. At least he didn't have his more heavy duty gear in his bag or dorm at the time, his laptop or his notes about Sensai. As far as they know - and as much as he'll tell them, when they question him again - is that he was just targeting Krei again for the challenge. ]
[Un-fucking-believable. Unbelievable! Hiro had been on patrol when Alistair contacted him on his private line, ranting and raving about somebody hacking into their systems again and how Hiro needed to fix it right away. Somewhere in all of the ranting though he catches the name of the culprit in question.
Kon Shinonome.
It's only after he talks to Krei's secretary that he gets the full details and finds himself hauling ass to the precinct still fully in his armor. He'll need his hero status on his side to make this work.
It take a lot of fast talking and explaining and some bargaining, all in low hushed tones and some arguments with the police before Hiro finally gets his way and the clerk on duty moves to unlock the cell door.
"Come on. You made bail."
With the clerk ushering Kon to his feet Hiro remains with his back to the cell as he finishes the final negotiations and turns, shield down over his face as he finally faces the boy.]
Let's go. [There's no room for argument, and it's clear in his tone that he is pissed.]
[ They usually stick him in a holding cell just because they don't trust him in the interrogation room - might pick the lock, as they learned the hard way last time - but they think it'll give him time to think about what he's done. True, Kon would agree that it gives him plenty of time to think about what he's done, but definitely not how they want him to. He runs through the information he found before he was hauled out of class, appeased somewhat that he found no exchange of information or funds between Krei and Sensai, no joint projects. Nothing that would connect them together.
Krei seems shady, but he's not doing anything that concerns Kon all that much.
It's as he's thinking about who he'll go after next that the doors open and the clerk goes on point, but even the hushed whispers don't have him turning around to check it out. Feigning disinterest as he throws the ball at the wall, catches, throws again, tends to net him more information later when they think he's not listening.
Today, though, he winds up getting hustled out of the cell and his school bag returned to him in a flurry of confusion that only escalates when he sees one of the Six standing there.
Wide-eyed, he passes the rubberband ball back to the clerk and shrugs his bag on. Kon's not an idiot - he stays silent and just inclines his head, waiting to follow him once the superhero (with the familiar voice, shit) heads towards the doors. ]
[He almost has to congratulate himself for being so calm and poised in the station. He's absolutely furious by everything that's happening at the moment but he remains the picture of cool, calm and collected as they walk through the doors and outside of the station. He doesn't stop there. He walks around a corner until they're out of the police's line of vision, only stopping when he thinks it's appropriate.]
What in the hell are you doing? [He's actually not anticipating Kon recognizing his voice, and so the helmet stays on for now.]
[ The idle thought of turning around and booking it in the opposite direction occurs to Kon, but he dismisses it because either he's dealing with Hiro Hamada as a member of the Big Hero 6 team, or he's dealing with Hiro Hamada dressed up like one as a fan. Either way, he's smart enough to know that he wouldn't make it very far before he was either caught or tracked down. Not fun.
Cringing a little, he holds onto the strap of his bag with both hands, though he doesn't shrink away from his tone. ] I would've thought they'd actually beefed up their systems better than that, but a middle schooler can still break in.
[ True, but not what he was doing. It's not something he's going to talk to Hiro about - after all, no heroes came to help him before. Why let one do it now when he's decided to take things into his own hands? ]
[If he booked it, Hiro would catch him. He's trying not to outright scream at the kid but he's just thinking of the countless hours he'll have to spend recoding and relocking everything for Krei.
Still...it's almost hard to be angry at a kid, though he's coming pretty close.]
That doesn't answer my question, Kon. What the fuck are you doing messing around in those files? I told you to do something safer.
[The thing that Hiro isn't saying is that despite not having Sensai Corp ties or anything of the sort, Krei Tech does have a lot of sensitive material. Things that could destroy the world if they fell into the wrong hands and were conducted by the wrong scientists. Things that Hiro's doing his best to help create and keep under wraps to better the world and not hinder it.
It wasn't worth the repeat of the incident four years ago. It wasn't worth the safety risks or losing more lives and if it meant losing sleep just to make sure things stayed safe, he'd do it. Kon is wearing on his patience and he knows Krei's systems need better security but he's trying. There's only so much he can do all at once and despite the fact that he can somehow juggle earning his doctorate, doing homework, being a superhero, being employed by Krei Tech and still trying to make do with a normal life he's still eighteen. And that's the frustrating piece.]
They're not gonna be so nice next time you do this. Do you want to be stuck in isolation somewhere, or do you want to actually do something in the world?
[ It wouldn't be the first time that Kon's been on the receiving end of a tangent like this before. The old man gave them to him all the time, talked sense into him where he said there wasn't any in the first place. He taught him everything he knows about doing right and wrong, and maybe what he's doing is wrong, but it's for the right reasons and it's to expose the people doing the real wrongs in and to the world.
He knows that Krei's got things hidden away that no one should know about, has almost happened upon them more than once in the two instances where he's entered the systems. But he was caught, both times, before he could really get a good look at what was there. Part of him is ferociously curious, but he has more important things to attend to.
And Hiro hits too close to that nerve. His head snaps up from where he'd been letting his eyes drift off to the side, and suddenly he's not eleven anymore. ]
I'm messing around with those files because I want to do something. [ If his voice didn't give him away before, what Hiro says does as Kon snaps back, standing straighter and defiantly fisting his hands at his sides. ] Not all of us will have the Six just - show up to save the day, Hiro!
[ And immediately after the words leave him, angry and hurt, he reins himself back in, jaw clenched tight like he can keep another outburst in. This isn't his business, and he's not about to share it with him after only one late night meeting and this latest favor. ]
[Curiosity almost gets people killed. He'd rather that not be the case here. He lets Kon snap at him and he's not even angry, really, though it's enough to get him to finally slide his helmet off and get really close to the boy's face. He stares at him with the most dead-eyed look possible, jaw also clenched tightly as he examines him far too closely.]
Why do you think I created the Big Hero Six? [Confirmation. All the confirmation Kon needs in the world, meeting the mastermind behind San Fransokyo's crimefighters. It's Kon's words that bother him most, the thing that eats at him every time he closes his eyes. 'What if this still isn't enough?" But he doesn't let on to those thoughts.] You wanna do something? Fine, but be smart about it. This kind of stupid bullshit isn't going to cut it.
[ There's a chance that it would be smarter for Kon to back down at least a little, but there's always been a fight in him. He's a couple years too early to have learned proper composure, to become aloof and more precisely calculative, so it rears its head now as he stares back at him rather than shying away.
A bitter, sharp part of him wants to spit "it's not enough" in his face, oblivious to the worry that haunts the hero. But he's smarter than that, at least. The vitriol in him is powerful, but if he thinks about it instead of snapping he knows to contain it, to channel it into something more useful. ]
Why do you even care? [ But that, that he has to ask. ]
[He's sort of grateful that the words aren't thrown out. He's older and wiser but there are some things he can't remove himself from. Even now, he has to bite his tongue from saying things he'll regret when Kon asks that question.]
Because someone has to. [It's his default answer, but he pauses again.] ...and because I've seen what happens when people charge in recklessly without plans and with only their emotions guiding them. Rage. Revenge. Sadness. Whatever it is...we're here to help fix it.
[ The hurt and the anger don't fade with that answer, but Kon didn't really expect them to. Instead, it strikes that chord again, and he can't help but bite his lower lip and finally drop his gaze from Hiro. It's not any of his business, so he's not going to tell him why he's doing it - rage, revenge, sadness - and he has no intentions of asking him for help.
But he won't deny that he's right. He's been stupid about this, more reckless than the old man would've wanted him to be. Because he knew what family meant, whether it was by blood or by choice, and he would've done what he could in his own way. He always did.
This is Kon's way. ]
Krei won't have to worry about me again. [ It comes out a little forced, but he might as well say it in lieu of whatever else Hiro might like to hear. ] He's clean, at least of what I was looking for. Besides, if he's working with the Six, then you'll keep him in line.
[He doesn't force Kon to look at him, but he does smirk very lightly. It's hopefully something that's gotten through to the kid. He can't stop him, but he at least hopes he'll listen to that part of it.
Still, the thing about it is that he hears what Kon's saying and some pieces start to align themselves. It's not his business, but at the same time the safety of the people of San Fransokyo is always his business.]
...this have something to do with that Sensai Corporation?
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This was one of them. Hiro's eighteenth birthday came and went. What would have been Tadashi's 25th came and went and then time sped up again. It's April now and the second dark pocket came, creeping little tendrils of doubt and insecurity into his skull. His friends knew better than to coax him to talk to them during those pockets, respecting his space until he came to them.
Some would say that when Tadashi Hamada died, he took his little brother's soul with him. It took several months before Hiro really started to feel like himself again but even then he knew that despite no longer sinking, he also wasn't staying afloat on his own. He was treading water and going through the motions of everyday living and trying to make the world a better place like Tadashi had wanted.
It originally started out just as a one-time thing. Catch the guy in the mask, avenge his brother's death, feel better. What became a one-time thing became a two-time thing, then multiple times, and now years later the Big Hero 6 were well-known in the city of San Fransokyo. Their identities were still mostly a mystery (save for Cass who knew and continually worried about her nephew.) In the four years that Hiro had become a superhero, the team had seen victories and failures, broken bones and upgrade after upgrade. And even while all of this was happening Hiro was going through SFIT and starting his doctorate for the robotic field.
The Big Hero 6 was well-known, but Hiro Hamada was also well-known for his intellect and his inventions. It was enough to keep him busy but it was also enough for him to know better than to leave his information so carelessly out there for anyone to take. So every day he would work to encrypt and encode all of his research, all files about his projects and his team so that only he could get in.
But yesterday had been one of those days he hadn't. Yesterday had been the anniversary of that fire that changed everything and as he had every year, Hiro took the day off. Skipped his classes, kept the door to his lab shut, and spent the day alternating between ghosting around the cemetery and staying at home curled up into Cass's side. But time still marched on and so today he's back in the lab.
…and absolutely baffled by the fact that somehow, someway, his files had been infiltrated.]
I don't get it. [He continued to repeat to anybody who would listen on campus. Honey Lemon and Fred seemed to get the brunt end of his bitching.] I don't get it! Those files were air-tight! I was gone a day, what the hell happened?
[It puzzled him for the rest of the day, all the way late into the evening as he sat in front of his computer and ran over all of his coding and worked himself into overdrive. Go Go eventually shut the lights off around him to try and get his attention and failed. Honey Lemon brought him a sandwich from the cafeteria that he ignored. Wasabi mentioned how unsanitary it was for him to stay in one spot and asked if he bothered showering before coming back to campus and also went ignored. Nothing was going to pull him from figuring this out.
If there was one thing Hiro knew at least, it was that whoever had breeched his files would be back. He just had to sit and wait for some sign to crop up.
Hopefully, he wouldn't have to wait long.]
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Ever since he'd been labeled, like some slab of beef to be sent to the market, Kon hasn't felt like he's really shined all that much. Admittedly his specialties lie in things that aren't generally looked upon with much merit - even white hat hackers are considered barely trustworthy, and maybe he's good with code in general, compiling it and navigating it with ease, but there's no thrill in that. There's a thrill in hacking, in slipping through the defenses that people have put up against others like him and being some punkass little kid getting through where people four times his age have failed.
He still remembers the old man's initial reaction, when he'd been caught the first time and reported. He'd had people show up at the diner, disapproval and reprimand at the tips of their tongues, and he'd looked at a ten year old Kon with a steely gaze through his sunglasses. It'd been a mix of bemused approval and amused annoyance, like he was squandering his talents on something so underhanded but it was so impressive that he still felt grudgingly proud.
Kon Shinonome took that as a challenge and encouragement it wasn't meant to be, and here he is now, without the old man looming over him to keep him in line.
He tries not to think about it too much beyond the day-by-day work he has to do.
Seeing as he's still too young at eleven, apparently, to attend SFIT - when you're a little older we'd be more than happy to accept your application, you'd fit right in, after all we've had one of the youngest and brightest in robotics as a student! - he's stuck in a special program until they deem him fit to move on. But it's boring, stopped being challenging after a month or two of tackling everything that they threw at him. And a bored genius is never a particularly good thing to have on your hands.
What better way to challenge himself, if they won't give him something engaging to do, than to see what SFIT has hidden in its databanks? With so many supposed geniuses attending the school, it seems perfectly logical for him to find something interesting going on in their encrypted files. If he's going to wind up going there, or somewhere similar, he thinks checking out his peers and potential competition is a perfect excuse to be a nosy little shit.
Yesterday had yielded some pretty interesting results, but it hadn't been until the end of the night that he found the real challenge. Whoever this research, this work, belonged to really made an effort to encrypt and protect everything. Kon's interest had immediately been piqued, and now he's back again to delve deeper, now that it's not ass o'clock in the morning and he's sure he hasn't been traced from last night's little endeavor. He should, probably, check the name on these projects, but he doesn't really care enough to. It's not like he'll be caught, or ever meet the guy. Girl. Whoever.
He's so distracted getting back in, effectively sliding through backdoors and unlocking locks, that Kon doesn't realize he's not the only one logged into this account. ]
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He stops for a moment, typing in a series of keystrokes to bring up an overview of the system to see what's going on. It seems as though his personal hacker is back and has yet to realize that they're being watched. He doesn't do anything yet, simply observing as whoever on the other side starts perusing his files and activating projects and data, not too worried just yet. Those files aren't his most important ones and instead he's more baffled about the fact that someone slipped in so easily.
He really should have been watching more closely.
He allows this to go on for a while before his brain provides him with a more creative solution and he shakes his head, furiously typing out a string of code and setting it before saving it in his files. It's a new puzzle, a new "top secret" file for his hacker to hack into and he's genuinely curious if it can be broken into. He sits back in his chair to continue observing, Baymax wandering over and leaning on him to provide warmth. Hiro hasn't quite decided what to do about whoever's inside his system, but it all depends on Kon's next move.
Should Kon actually take the bait and move for the new file to open it, he'll find that it's...relatively easy to hack into for someone of his caliber. However, he won't find the usual impressive formulas and research notes. Instead, he'll find in large bolded letters a note:]
I KNOW YOU'RE HERE.
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But he doesn't panic. Despite his age, he's a pretty levelheaded thinker when his temper doesn't come into play, and this doesn't necessarily mean that he's in trouble.
In fact, the user might not even be aware he's there. And even if they are, he's running through enough proxies that he should be fine, unless they manage to break through them and figure out the route they take. So, ideally, he's safe as houses. He just needs to tread lightly, work his way quickly but carefully to get in and out while dodging whoever is in here with him.
Except... How could he resist the new file that appears? The encryption is sound, but as he sits there tapping his fingers just barely over the keys, he considers the possibility of a trap.
Well. No one ever said Kon could resist a challenge, no matter how blatant. Typing quickly, he navigates his way through the code, and - ]
Shit. [ Caught. But he still doesn't panic - instead, he grins, writing up his own code so that an avatar pops up, a cheekily snickering fox animated below Hiro's text. Might as well give the guy some credit via acknowledging the fact he's been caught in the act, but maybe the reply will distract him while Kon runs a few decyptions in the background. Just because he's caught doesn't mean he's going to stop. ]
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But no. Instead, he hears a light little ping! as something new appears and Hiro opens an eye to look.]
Hiro, your blood pressure is elevating.
[Damn right it is. Who the hell did they think they were making an actual mockery of him? Driven more by frustration than anything Hiro lunges for his keyboard and he's quick to code one more thing. He keeps one eye on the files that are being navigated through and one eye on what he's working on, taking care to make sure nothing of real interest is going to be tampered with. A few minutes later though Kon will notice that a new avatar pops up under the fox. It looks harmless, a small smiling robot that wobbles as it approaches on screen (very remnant to Hiro's own Megabot) before it stops in front of the fox avatar. Without much of a warning, the robot's face shifts from smiling to something far more aggressive as its little limbs punch the fox in the face, effectively writing Kon's code out of the picture and eliminating it.]
Don't even try it.
[Seriously. Get out of his files, man, you're setting him back by at least two hours.]
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But what better way to do that than now?
Tongue poking out in concentration, he types quickly, focused on finding a mix of files to break into just for variety and to make whoever is on the other side think that he's pulling at random. Like maybe he's getting lucky with the ones that have higher security. That's just a matter of him directly working on their defenses, but their owner didn't need to know that, now did they?
He's distracted, however, by the bot that appears. Eying it, Kon bristles up as it pretty much deletes his taunt. The words are just further fuel to the fire, and he puffs up. ]
You wanna go, buddy? [ Fine, they'll go. He types out a string of code, then hits send. This time, when the avatar shows up, the teeth are sharp in its grin - and snap open to eat the Microbot in one bite, giving Kon a chance to mess with it. Its cheeky snickering resumes once he's recoded and overwritten the other avatar, rather than outright deleting it. ]
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There's a sound that's something akin to a strangled goose when he watches the bot get swallowed by the damn fox and he grabs the sides of his monitor, shaking it and allowing a few choice curses fly out of his mouth.]
Oh come on! [He stops for a moment, sinking back to try and see if he can detect a pattern for what's up. It's hard without seeing what's happening on the other side. He has to pull the whole system offline somehow. Delete it, maybe.
…or just move it. That could work, too. Quick thinking allows him to open a new system and start pulling files off to transfer them. Unlike Kon, the selections actually are random for the most part. The most important files about the BH6 are pulled first though. Everything else is just whatever he can grab, and about halfway through he pauses.
He could be mature and just leave it at that. But why? They clearly want a challenge and Hiro's never been smart enough to back down from a challenge. That stupid fox continues to mock him and he's angrily pounding on his keys, mumbling under his breath before successfully closing the new code.
It's debatable if Kon would know anything of the BH6, but shortly after Hiro finishes there's a large, red robotic fist flying and punching out the avatar, effectively suddenly kicking Kon out of whatever file he was in the middle of decrypting. It's not everything since Hiro's priorities are everywhere, but it'll have to do.]
Your move, asshole.
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Which would probably give the person on the other side the time to track him, or lock him out hard. He has to weigh his pros and cons, and that's pretty hard when he's ruffled like this. He really should have just done all his work in this system last night when no one was home.
Especially since it doesn't take long for him to punch out his taunt again, but this time.
This time it's worse. ]
What the hell! [ Kon you're eleven, watch your mouth. ] Oh come on!
[ Unaware that he's mimicking his opponent, Kon drops his feet off his desk and shakes his main monitor. The kick knocks him out of the file he had been working on, something heavily encrypted but missed in the relocation process, and he's pissed. Nothing worse than hard work being wasted.
Fuming, he grabs his keyboard. There isn't an avatar this time, but rather actual contact. ] that was probably copyright infringement.
[ When you live in San Fransokyo, it's kind of hard to not recognize that distinctive fist. ]
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Still, he has no idea what he's dealing with and he's feeling very smug at the moment of once again outsmarting an adult. It gets easier with age the more he learns, truth be told, and he waits for the next response. He's not in a rush anymore. All of the important files have been transported and to his relief, the file he'd kicked the hacker out of hadn't been breeched just yet. Let's not share secrets about being a superhero with some schmuck with good luck. (And good skill, he had to admit.)
When he sees the message come across he laughs again, tilting his head as he considers that. One would think that, wouldn't they? He knows that even if the identities of the team are still protected (somehow, by more good luck, he thinks), Baymax's fist is more than recognizable as a symbol of peace and justice for the people of San Fransokyo. He's more relaxed, too pleased with himself as he lazily types out a response.]
Probably. Y'know. If somebody had to worry about something like that. When you're someone who knows what they're doing you don't have to. [He should leave it at that, but he'll take his victories where he can.] But I don't think you wanna talk to ME about infringements on intellectual properties, considering what you're doing.
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Instead, though, Kon pulls up SFIT's database directory. Tapping out a few keystrokes, he works to narrow down what department this particular terminal is in. His idea is maybe a little vindictive, but at least communication lines are still open, and he can latch onto other files to serve as distractions.
It wasn't even about the contents so much as it was the locks, in the beginning. But now, the anty has been upped and he's the one that's frustrated. So if he wants to go - well, they're gonna go.
Hiro's response goes unanswered as he works, but seeing it on his screen just continues to rackle him. It doesn't remain unanswered for too long before he's typing out his reply. ]
if you were that worried about protecting your work from thieves and bored people like me, then you would've locked them up tighter. oops.
[ As if to prove his point, he takes a file he's decrypted and dumps its contents out so that it's a myriad of windows opening across the screen, obstructing his view of anything actually important until it's cleared. Underhanded, maybe, but all's fair and all that. Besides, it's personal now that he's been lumped in with boring people, and the assholes that took everything. ]
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Sadly, he doesn't care much about files of other people. That's their problem. He's continuing to lock up his files as he goes, waiting for Kon to respond and unsure of what he's doing. The most important ones are fine. It's the insinuation that he doesn't care enough that raises his hackles, the idea that since he took the day off he wasn't worried enough. How dare they. It's no longer funny but he doesn't get a chance to say anything before the contents of one of the folders start popping up window after window, faster than Hiro can clear them. Another indignant squawk escapes him and he's aware that this is a distraction.
The scary part is that he doesn't know what Kon's actually after now that he's thrown a wrench in Hiro's plans. He gets to work on clearing the files and moving them, trying to fix the file and relock it, but if Kon looks at what he's just unlocked it should be clear to him what he's dealing with.
The particular file contains old research notes about brain waves and transmissions, how to recreate the microbots to function with only one person and their unique patterns. The thing about it is is that there's one name plastered all over those files, created back when Hiro was still young and paranoid about people stealing his work all over again.
Hiro Hamada, age 15. The files are dated three years back and he no longer needs those notes so Hiro's busy resorting them. It's when he finally clears them up that he responds.]
You don't even know what you're looking for, do you?
[It's a bluff. He doesn't know what Kon's doing, but he's hoping that maybe it'll be enough to push him back just enough until Hiro can find a new loophole himself.]
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That doesn't change the fact he's annoyed now, and it just means he feels like he has to prove himself even more. Whoever this is, they're expecting the expertise of an adult. So, in his head, that means that he has to deliver and exceed. Maybe he won't be able to get right back to what he was doing before, but at least he can do something, anything, that will get back at this person.
Nevermind that he's the intruder here, but that's not the point anymore. ]
Asshole. [ But he does pause when he really gets a look at the file that he dumped out, frowning at the contents and the dates. Three years ago - and the name isn't necessarily an uncommon one, given the fact that he's touted as a child prodigy, too. But that means that his opponent is either an actual thief themselves or are, in fact, Hiro Hamada.
Still an asshole, either way. ]
i wasn't looking for anything before you started hiding things, but now i know exactly what i'm after.
[ Leaving it vague just to make him sweat, he doesn't touch anything else to make it work. After all, he's trying to find where the hell the guy is so that he can hit him with maximum effectiveness. It's not really mature, but whatever, he's a little kid, and no one said he had to act mature to reflect his intellect. ]
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He'd be the first to admit that he's kind of an asshole but also the first to argue that it's for a good reason. He's not like Tadashi who saw the best in everyone. He's not as much of a misanthrope as he was as a kid but he's still a little more reserved and a lot more quick to annoy. He's calm now though as he puts his files away, waiting for the reply.
And it comes. It's not what he expects though and the words give him pause.
Shit. He should have thought of that himself and now he has to wonder if his late-night hacker really does know. Is it possible that Hiro just blew the cover he'd worked so hard to keep because he couldn't let something go?]
If you did, you would've found it already instead of wasting time. What kind of a hacker are you anyway?
[Stupid, stupid, stupid. Hiro still has some growing to do, too, it seems. Maturity is overrated and it's only after he sends that message that he realizes he's 100% alone in the lab. The others left hours ago.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.]
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Kon, maybe, should've actually listened to Hiro's warning instead of dismissing it. At least he didn't hack into Hiro's shit again - technically, anyways - and went elsewhere, somewhere that was... okay, it wasn't any safer. It was probably a lot riskier, actually. But after leaving SFIT students alone, he's now moved back to his primary project of trying to delve deeper into what it is that Sensai is up to. It's a little strange that a corporation that specializes in virtual reality technology advancement has its fingers in the health industry's pie, has so many stocks and shares that the media doesn't know about.
A secretive corporation doesn't bode well with him. Secrets don't bode well with him. So he makes the mistake of hacking back into Krei Tech, where he finds it to be a little less wanting in terms of security after the first stint last year, but not enough that it'll keep him out at the end of the day. Krei is pretty public, even if he seems a little skeevy, but he knows he's got skeletons hiding out in his closets.
He might as well make sure the company that Hiro works with doesn't have a hand in what Sensai is up to, right? He'll move onto the smaller companies after the big name one, but it's only right to check on the one whose technology and advancements are found so easily in the market these days.
Unfortunately, he gets caught.
Again.
Hiro was right about him not being able to save or wipe his work fast enough in the computer lab, but maybe the next time he does it he won't do it during the day. It was a slipup that he's kicking himself over down at the precinct, sitting on the floor against the bars of the holding cell and facing the back wall, where he's bouncing a rubberband ball the clerk deigned to give him so he wouldn't pester them for his things back. At least he didn't have his more heavy duty gear in his bag or dorm at the time, his laptop or his notes about Sensai. As far as they know - and as much as he'll tell them, when they question him again - is that he was just targeting Krei again for the challenge. ]
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Kon Shinonome.
It's only after he talks to Krei's secretary that he gets the full details and finds himself hauling ass to the precinct still fully in his armor. He'll need his hero status on his side to make this work.
It take a lot of fast talking and explaining and some bargaining, all in low hushed tones and some arguments with the police before Hiro finally gets his way and the clerk on duty moves to unlock the cell door.
"Come on. You made bail."
With the clerk ushering Kon to his feet Hiro remains with his back to the cell as he finishes the final negotiations and turns, shield down over his face as he finally faces the boy.]
Let's go. [There's no room for argument, and it's clear in his tone that he is pissed.]
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Krei seems shady, but he's not doing anything that concerns Kon all that much.
It's as he's thinking about who he'll go after next that the doors open and the clerk goes on point, but even the hushed whispers don't have him turning around to check it out. Feigning disinterest as he throws the ball at the wall, catches, throws again, tends to net him more information later when they think he's not listening.
Today, though, he winds up getting hustled out of the cell and his school bag returned to him in a flurry of confusion that only escalates when he sees one of the Six standing there.
Wide-eyed, he passes the rubberband ball back to the clerk and shrugs his bag on. Kon's not an idiot - he stays silent and just inclines his head, waiting to follow him once the superhero (with the familiar voice, shit) heads towards the doors. ]
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What in the hell are you doing? [He's actually not anticipating Kon recognizing his voice, and so the helmet stays on for now.]
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Cringing a little, he holds onto the strap of his bag with both hands, though he doesn't shrink away from his tone. ] I would've thought they'd actually beefed up their systems better than that, but a middle schooler can still break in.
[ True, but not what he was doing. It's not something he's going to talk to Hiro about - after all, no heroes came to help him before. Why let one do it now when he's decided to take things into his own hands? ]
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Still...it's almost hard to be angry at a kid, though he's coming pretty close.]
That doesn't answer my question, Kon. What the fuck are you doing messing around in those files? I told you to do something safer.
[The thing that Hiro isn't saying is that despite not having Sensai Corp ties or anything of the sort, Krei Tech does have a lot of sensitive material. Things that could destroy the world if they fell into the wrong hands and were conducted by the wrong scientists. Things that Hiro's doing his best to help create and keep under wraps to better the world and not hinder it.
It wasn't worth the repeat of the incident four years ago. It wasn't worth the safety risks or losing more lives and if it meant losing sleep just to make sure things stayed safe, he'd do it. Kon is wearing on his patience and he knows Krei's systems need better security but he's trying. There's only so much he can do all at once and despite the fact that he can somehow juggle earning his doctorate, doing homework, being a superhero, being employed by Krei Tech and still trying to make do with a normal life he's still eighteen. And that's the frustrating piece.]
They're not gonna be so nice next time you do this. Do you want to be stuck in isolation somewhere, or do you want to actually do something in the world?
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He knows that Krei's got things hidden away that no one should know about, has almost happened upon them more than once in the two instances where he's entered the systems. But he was caught, both times, before he could really get a good look at what was there. Part of him is ferociously curious, but he has more important things to attend to.
And Hiro hits too close to that nerve. His head snaps up from where he'd been letting his eyes drift off to the side, and suddenly he's not eleven anymore. ]
I'm messing around with those files because I want to do something. [ If his voice didn't give him away before, what Hiro says does as Kon snaps back, standing straighter and defiantly fisting his hands at his sides. ] Not all of us will have the Six just - show up to save the day, Hiro!
[ And immediately after the words leave him, angry and hurt, he reins himself back in, jaw clenched tight like he can keep another outburst in. This isn't his business, and he's not about to share it with him after only one late night meeting and this latest favor. ]
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Why do you think I created the Big Hero Six? [Confirmation. All the confirmation Kon needs in the world, meeting the mastermind behind San Fransokyo's crimefighters. It's Kon's words that bother him most, the thing that eats at him every time he closes his eyes. 'What if this still isn't enough?" But he doesn't let on to those thoughts.] You wanna do something? Fine, but be smart about it. This kind of stupid bullshit isn't going to cut it.
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A bitter, sharp part of him wants to spit "it's not enough" in his face, oblivious to the worry that haunts the hero. But he's smarter than that, at least. The vitriol in him is powerful, but if he thinks about it instead of snapping he knows to contain it, to channel it into something more useful. ]
Why do you even care? [ But that, that he has to ask. ]
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Because someone has to. [It's his default answer, but he pauses again.] ...and because I've seen what happens when people charge in recklessly without plans and with only their emotions guiding them. Rage. Revenge. Sadness. Whatever it is...we're here to help fix it.
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But he won't deny that he's right. He's been stupid about this, more reckless than the old man would've wanted him to be. Because he knew what family meant, whether it was by blood or by choice, and he would've done what he could in his own way. He always did.
This is Kon's way. ]
Krei won't have to worry about me again. [ It comes out a little forced, but he might as well say it in lieu of whatever else Hiro might like to hear. ] He's clean, at least of what I was looking for. Besides, if he's working with the Six, then you'll keep him in line.
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Still, the thing about it is that he hears what Kon's saying and some pieces start to align themselves. It's not his business, but at the same time the safety of the people of San Fransokyo is always his business.]
...this have something to do with that Sensai Corporation?
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